The Zaandam is a Holland America Line luxury cruise ship that has been in service since 2000. The vessel is 881 feet long and carries up to 1,848 passengers and crew. It was built in Rotterdam, Netherlands and is registered in the Bahamas.
The Zaandam has made numerous voyages around the world. Its most recent voyage was a 14-day roundtrip from San Diego, California to Acapulco, Mexico. This journey was scheduled to end on March 25th, 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise was cut short and the ship had to return to port early.
Since then, the Zaandam has been docked in San Diego awaiting further instructions from Holland America Line. The company has been working with state and federal authorities to develop a plan for how they will proceed with the remaining passengers and crew on board who are affected by COVID-19 related illnesses. In an effort to help these passengers get back home safely, Holland America Line chartered two ships – one from Royal Caribbean International and one from Celebrity Cruises – which would sail alongside the Zaandam while they were at sea.
The Zaandam set sail from San Diego on April 17th headed for Fort Lauderdale, Florida with both of its accompanying ships alongside it for support. On April 19th, all three ships arrived safely in Fort Lauderdale where disembarkation of all passengers occurred over several days due to social distancing requirements imposed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).
Currently the Zaandam is docked at Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale awaiting further instructions from Holland America Line as they seek out their next voyage or destination port. In addition, they are making sure that all necessary maintenance is completed while it is docked so that it can get back out on the open seas once again soon.
Where Is The Cruise Ship Zaandam Now? The Zaandam is currently docked at Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale awaiting further instructions from Holland America Line as they seek out their next voyage or destination port. The vessel is undergoing necessary maintenance before it can set sail once again soon.